Small Business Marketing Strategies
February 25, 2025
The “Luck” of Underdogs: Small Business Marketing Strategies
Pull out your brackets, my friends, March Madness loves a good upset! Every year, a low-seeded team storms into the NCAA basketball tournament and knocks out a fan favorite. Viewers love an underdog! We chuckle when oddsmakers bleed money as a result of it. But is the win simply a lucky break or something more? The golden answer applies to college athletics, but also to small business marketing strategies and entrepreneurs who must stand toe-to-toe against titans in their industry.
Let’s explore the answer.
The Underdog Effect
When individuals or teams defy expectations and rise beyond their perceived limits, psychologists call this “the underdog effect.” According to David Burkus: “When people think they are underestimated or disadvantaged, they often put in more effort to succeed. Individuals who adopt the underdog mindset work harder, take more risks, and are likely to face all challenges.” They might fail. But they have a much greater motivation to succeed.
An underdog possesses a relentless belief in proving the doubters wrong. They prepare, grind, and bounce back regardless of the perceived outcome. Underdogs rise because they outwork and outthink opponents. They adapt, and refuse to back down. This potent combination motivates a team, each player, and yes, small business owners across the globe.
So no, it’s not luck.
The Rocky Balboa Mindset: Go the Distance
Let’s switch to another sport for just a minute. In Rocky, Balboa didn’t step into the ring with Apollo Creed expecting to win. Not even close. He needed to prove to himself and everyone else that he wasn’t just some nobody from Philly. If he won, great. If he lost, he could live with it. But if he went the distance, if he hung in there with the champ until the final bell, no one could ever call him worthless again.
Entrepreneurs can embrace this same underdog mentality. You don’t need to crush the competition overnight. Just show up, fight hard, and stay in the game. The longer you go the distance, the more people take notice.
That’s the power of the underdog effect.
The Underdog Advantage in Small Business Marketing Strategies
Okay, there’s a lot of cheese seeping into this article (sorry about that). Let’s talk about specific strategies. Real, tangible ways to activate your own underdog effect as a small business owner.
JamboJon Site Auditor: Keyword Research Made Easy
For SEO, we love using The JamboJon Site Auditor. This tool simplifies your keyword research, helping to identify the best terms to use to improve your search rankings. So easy to use! It also offers search engine reports, backlink suggestions, and a number of other valuable resources to keep a close eye on your SEO. When tested against other SEO specialists, we’ve found it to be right on target with the best of the best. That’s what your company needs!
Fonts Ninja: Uncover the Secrets of the Type
Since JamboJon is in the web development realm, we need tools to help us decipher the ins and outs of existing websites. That’s where a browser extension called Fonts Ninja comes in. Fonts Ninja spots the fonts used on a website. This collaborative tool also allows designers to preview and test new fonts, and purchase other fonts to keep in your personal toolbelt. Your type sets the tone for your brand. Make sure you’re using the right one!
GTmetrix: Mastering Website Performance
In a world of short attention spans, a fast, well-performing website is essential! No one wants to wait for a site to load. Our team relies on GTmetrix to analyze website speed, performance issues, and user experience. Its detailed reports help us fine-tune every page of each project. If the website’s too slow, it doesn’t matter how much work you put into the rest of it.
On the Desk
- Owala Waterbottle. Keeps my water cold!!!
- Pilot Neo-gel Ballpoint Pen w/ a Fine Point. (C’mon, we all have our favorite pens!)
- Wired Keyboard (For those who hate changing batteries)
- Snack Suggestions:
- Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels
- Peanut M&Ms
- Salami & Cheese
- Dr. Pepper (Did I mention DP twice? That’s not by accident!)
Lots of Love In Here
Cheers to you, our JamboJon family! We love what we do and are always looking for ways to connect with you, share what we’ve learned, and inspire you to do the same. We appreciate this opportunity to show off our favorite things that make our jobs, and (hopefully) yours, even better. If Fraulein Maria could raise her voice to the Austrian Alps in 2025, she would most certainly mention cutting-edge AI software and Fonts Ninja. In fact, she would sheepishly admit that she can’t stop singing about them. We can relate.
What tools do you love in your business? Let us know! We’d love to hear your favorites!
